Aaron Hardie is yet to celebrate a 20th birthday or first-class debut, but he has now experienced the "surreal" sensation that is single-handedly dismissing Virat Kohli.
Hardie, an allrounder who has been learning from banned Test batsman Cameron Bancroft at Perth club Willetton this year, bettered the world's No.1 Test batsman on day two of India's tour game at the SCG.
Kohli, having otherwise exhibited trademark concentration and class throughout a 97-minute stay at the crease, offered the right-armer a return catch during Thursday's post-lunch session.
The 19-year-old's reflexes were up to the task.
Hardie pocketed the catch then nonchalantly tossed the ball in the air as India's captain trudged off, watching a scoreboard replay of his dismissal on 64.
"It was a pretty amazing feeling. It all happened very quickly. Because he was smacking me around the park a little bit and then next minute he hit one back to me," Hardie told reporters.
"A bit surreal."
Hardie, who was born in the English coastal town of Bournemouth but started playing cricket as a child in Perth, was full of praise for his club captain Bancroft.
"Cameron's been absolutely awesome this season. He ran a full pre-season for Willetton," he said.
"He's been down to training at least half an hour early, every training session. He's been giving throwdowns to the third and fourth graders. He's been an awesome influence, not just on the field but off the field.
"The way he prepares, when he made 150 last week he was really crook and just the mental toughness (he showed) when he was batting - that was quite amazing."
Hardie has form when it comes to performing in tour games. Last year, he dismissed England captain Joe Root and James Vince in the same over.
Hardie finished with figures of 4-50 in Sydney, cleaning up the tail clinically after he had Rohit Sharma out edging for 40.
The young gun is one of WA's most exciting prospects, having captained the state at under-17 and under-19 level then earned a rookie contract for 2018-19.
Hardie, who was recently named in an extended WA Sheffield Shield squad after scoring a century in the Futures League against an attack that featured fit-again Test pacemen Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, is desperate to make his first-class debut.
"Got picked in the squad a couple of weeks ago but then a couple of the big dogs came back in, Marcus Stoinis and Ashton Agar," he said.
